Black Swan Prince:Prologue
Disclaimer I do not own Fire Emblem or The Swan Princess. Author's Note: Introduction This is a crossover placing the characters of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones into the plot of The Swan Princess. Some characters’ personalities may be bent to fit their parts. I had to make Fomortiis…y’know, corporeal in order for this to work, so bear with me on that. Chapter Body Once upon a time, there was an emperor named Vigarde. His kingdom was at peace, prosperous and strong. His people were happy, well fed and educated. And yet, he was unhappy. Vigarde had never longed for the family unit of which everyone spoke so highly. Indeed, his trusted adviser, Father MacGregor, had long been frustrated with his disinterest in marital affairs. Instead, Vigarde had dedicated his life to bettering his country. He was a beloved emperor, having built new schools for children, trained an army in peace for the sake of jobs, and even fed the poor from his own stash in times of famine. However, Vigarde recognized his own age. He knew that without an heir, everything he’d built would be for naught. As the last remaining heir of the legendary hero Grado, he and his descendants were the only ones fit for the Grado throne. If he were to pass without an heir, the kingdom would be destroyed by civil war and anarchy. With that in mind, Vigarde took a consort. She was more interested in his wealth and power than his personality, but that suited him fine, as he was primarily interested in her uterus. He was glad it didn’t take long for her to get pregnant, as courting her took up way too much of his time. Despite his distaste for family ties, he found himself happy on the day of his son’s birth. The joy he felt when he held the child was unexpected, but welcome to his chilly heart. As his newborn opened his lavender eyes and met his father’s identical ones for the first time, they both smiled. .:: ~ ::. Emperor Vigarde had invited all the nobility from every nation to baby Lyon’s christening some weeks later. He graciously accepted the gifts of the Divine Emperor Mansel, the beautiful Queen Ismaire of the White Dunes, and the wise King Hayden. He welcomed them all to his kingdom, along with their children, but he awaited the arrival of his closest friend. “Vigarde, old friend!” came a booming voice from the entrance. Vigarde smiled despite himself at his friend’s boisterous antics. He made his way to the door and accepted Fado’s handshake and one-armed hug. “It’s good to see you, too, Fado. Ah, and you’ve brought the children to meet Lyon,” Vigarde observed. The small, blue-haired twins entered with their mother. Princess Eirika clung tight to her mother’s robes and watched her brother as he stubbornly ran ahead of them. They were little more than eighteen months old, but they seemed so much bigger to Vigarde than they had been the last time he’d seen them. He didn’t hold much affection for most people, but he regarded the twins affectionately as his godchildren. Prince Ephraim ran right up to the cradle at the center of the room and struggled to see over its sides. Fado laughed at his eager son. “Yes, they’re here all right. They hardly know why, but they’re here.” The two middle-aged rulers watched as Prince Ephraim dropped a twinkling piece of god into the cradle. Fado frowned and stepped forward to inspect it. “Well,” he told Vigarde as the emperor approached. “I don’t know where he got this, but I think it’s his gift to baby Lyon!” Fado held it up for Vigarde to see. It was a charm on a chain. Upon it, a dark swan was carved. “What is it?” Vigarde asked. “It’s an heirloom of my mother’s. She always told me that the black swan was a symbol of surprise and that whoever bore it would be able to foresee such things.” Fado placed it back in the cradle. “A fitting gift for a future emperor.” Vigarde placed a hand on Fado’s shoulder. “Thank you, my friend.” He then tousled Ephraim’s hair, much to the toddler’s dismay. “And thank you, Prince Ephraim.” As Vigarde and Fado meandered away from the main crowd, they discussed the heirs of their kingdoms. They seemed so innocent now, so full of naiveté and curiosity. But one day they would have to be kings, and the current rulers discussed how to make them the best they could be. “What do you think it was that made you such a good ruler?” Fado eventually asked Vigarde. Vigarde considered the question a moment before answering. “Well, learning everything twice because I had to teach it to you certainly improved my studies,” he chuckled. “Actually, I think our training under my father here in Grado helped us both. We taught each other, learned from each other, and established a lifelong friendship. We learned who we were by learning each other.” Fado nodded, a confident smile on his face. “Yes, I was thinking the same thing. That’s why I think it would be a wonderful idea for Eirika and Ephraim to spend their summers here with your boy, learning from your capable tutors and keeping their loyalties where they belong.” Vigarde regarded his old friend for a moment. “I am honored that you would trust me with your most precious treasures.” Fado clapped a hand on the emperor’s shoulder, causing the man to stumble forward. “I have always entrusted you with my life, dear friend, and I would not hesitate to entrust those of my children to you as well.” .:: ~ ::. From deep in the forests of the damned, Fomortiis scoffed at Emperor Vigarde’s foolishness. How dare he celebrate the birth of a child that would soon be dead! Centuries ago, Fomortiis ruled the continent of Magvel. That is, until Grado and his silly band of heroes banished him to this forsaken wood. To this day, he plotted his revenge against Grado. He was almost strong enough to vanquish all that was left the “legendary hero:” his legacy. Author's Note: Conclusion Lame and stuff, I know, but I didn’t want to go into way too much detail for a prologue. This introduction is long enough without me describing every tapestry to you.